Title: Lost Slayer 2/4
Author: Sweetdoggie (stirling_summer@yahoo.com)
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters.. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
Giles woke from one of the best rests he had enjoyed in three years and saw that he was alone in the bed. It was just as well since he was in no condition to greet an impressionable young woman. Glancing around, he made a quick dash to the bathroom hoping his morning erection would subside under the influence of a cold shower. He wondered where his Slayer had gotten off to; not that he was concerned with her running away. She wouldn’t do that, he thought.
Buffy came banging back into the hotel room laden with food offerings. She had stopped at the local market and purchased an assortment of fresh fruit, and had then swung by the McDonalds and purchased their big breakfast combo’s for two. She didn’t know if he drank coffee but had gotten two large ones anyway figuring that she wouldn’t mind the extra caffeine if he didn’t.
He emerged from the bathroom when he heard her come in. Giles looked at the food. “There was no need to trouble yourself with breakfast, my dear. I would have taken us both out.”
“No problem, Watcher-mine. Besides, I’ve seen what this town has available for breakfast and we are way better off at the Golden Arches.. Coffee?”
“Thank you.” He sipped it. “Not too bad for a purchased beverage.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I prefer tea myself, but this is what they had.”
“You like tea?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“I too, like a freshly brewed cup.”
“See, we already have lots in common,” she grinned mischievously at him.
“I don’t doubt it.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I should like to take you back to England with me to train and assess your abilities. After that, we shall go where we are needed.”
“England? Cool. Um, don’t I need a passport and stuff?”
He nodded. “I shall call the Council today and have things arranged for us.”
“These Council guys sound pretty powerful. Tell me about them,” she invited.
He explained how the Council was composed of men and women who had dedicated their lives, and often the lives of their children to the care of the Slayer. “We train in every conceivable subject so that one day, we might provide the information or experience needed by our charges.”
“So, the Council must have a lot of influence?”
“Yes, of course. We have members in every profession and country in the world.”
“Would it be possible to find out anything about my folks? I don’t want to contact them or anything, but I’d really like to know they’re OK, if that’s possible.”
“I don’t see why not,” he acceded. “I shall also see about getting the charges against you dropped. There is no need for you to live in fear.”
“That would be great!”
He smiled at her and reached for the telephone.
Giles spent two hours on the telephone to various agencies. The Council was mightily relieved that he had finally found the Slayer and he was instructed to bring her back to England with no delay. Her passport and I.D. under her correct name would be created as soon as he faxed them her photo.
Buffy was astonished at the rapidity of the Council and the energy of this man. They went out for lunch and he bought the ingredients for a picnic in the small park in the center of town.
She lay on a blanket and watched the sky. “I miss this sometimes.”
He looked up, surprised. “What?”
“Just sitting in the sun as if I were a normal girl. I miss all the stuff that goes with it, you know? Friends, family, my own room, more than one change of clothes. Makeup and jewelry—girly stuff, I guess, but I miss it. It was so great last night, just having a shower in a place where I didn’t have to worry about being raped.”
He looked grim. “From now on, things will be different for you, Buffy. You will be with me and I will take good care of you.”
“I don’t need somebody to take care of me, Giles. I wouldn’t mind a friend though, if that position is open.”
“I’m your Watcher…” he looked into her eyes. “I’d be honored to be considered your friend as well.”
They stayed in the nameless town for another three days till her paperwork was clear. All charges against her had been dropped without prejudice and she was free to travel under her own name again. She told him how good that felt.
Giles spent the three days getting to know his Slayer better. So far, he had found out that she was an energetic, happy girl who didn’t let the problems of her lifestyle weigh her down. She could be pragmatic, but rarely sulked. Buffy slept like a rock at night, but they always woke cuddled together. He almost suggested at one point that they get separate rooms, but he wanted to keep her under close observation. It had taken him a very long time to find her and now that he had, he wasn’t letting her go.
They arrived in New York, booked two tickets to England, and spent the next hour waiting for their flight.
“You know, we probably should have stayed in a hotel for one more night. You’re going to be really whipped by the time we get to London..”
“It can’t be helped, I’m afraid. And besides, we can sleep on the flight.”
“I wish I’d had more to eat at breakfast. I’m starving.”
He goggled at her. She had eaten three eggs, two sausage patties, three strips of bacon, and five pancakes, plus his toast, supplemented by two pieces of fruit and a pot of tea. “I don’t see where you put it all.”
“I think I must burn a lot of calories,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, yes, but…”
“I need a lot of energy to kill things—fighting is hard work, you know. Have you ever heard of a fat Slayer?”
“No. No, I haven’t.”
“I almost starved to death before I realized I needed to eat every couple of hours. I thought I had some disease or something.”
He looked stricken. “I’m sorry. I should have been there for you.”
“Pooh, how could you have been? I told you how it happened for me. Nobody was there. I managed.”
He stretched out his hand and placed it carefully on her shoulder.. “I shall be there from now on, Buffy. I give you my word.”
She looked momentarily uncertain how to reply, then finally nodded. “I’d appreciate that, I think.”
He was brought back into the present when their flight was announced over the loudspeaker. They gathered up their luggage and made their way to the boarding line. Buffy’s wardrobe had been fleshed-out some but they hadn’t taken the time to purchase more than a few changes of clothes for her. He had promised they would buy more when they were in England.
She had shrugged. “This is great. I haven’t had this many clothes for three years. I used to really like dressing up.”
He patted her hand, once again appalled at what she had sacrificed, his beautiful Slayer. She was beautiful; he had realized it gradually over the past few days. It wasn’t just a physical beauty either. Her aura glowed with enough light to dim electric lights when he allowed himself to see it. He’d seen the auras of other Slayers and while they were brighter than normal humans, he had never seen anything like this before.
They boarded the plane and he was relieved to see that the third seat was unoccupied. Buffy immediately began fidgeting.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just get antsy when I can’t move around like I want.”
“Would something to read help to pass the time?”
“Yeah. That would be great.”
He dug into his carryon and handed her a slim, leather-bound book..
“What’s this?”
“It is the handbook for your profession. You should study it carefully. It will give you some valuable insights into, ah, your considerable gifts.”
“Cool.”
She had settled down after that and had poured over the book. He was surprised to hear her laugh out loud several times. Once she had looked up at him.
“Are these guys serious?”
“Why, yes, of course.”
“What century was this thing written in, anyhow?”
“It is quite old, but the basic volume is updated as needed. I believe it was last rewritten in 1952.”
“The Fifties, wow. No wonder. We definitely need to talk when we get off this bucket of bolts.”
The flight attendant brought around their dinner and a tiny beverage. Buffy ate hers voraciously and looked around, wondering if she could possibly get another sandwich. Giles, having some idea of her capacity, reached into his pocket and pulled out a candy bar. He offered it to her. “I thought you might need something else.”
She took it and gave him a grateful look. “Thanks.”
After that, she slept for a few hours. She awoke when the flight attendants brought more food. “Too bad transporters don’t work like on Star Trek. Instantaneous travel would be great.”
He tried to stretch his long legs in the cramped space. “Yes, nearly anything is better than a long flight.”
“Well, it’s cleaner than a bus, at any rate.”
He searched for some topic of conversation to amuse her. “Um, have you ever ridden a horse? Now that is the way to travel. It’s so interactive. I think you’d love it.”
“Ride a horse? No, I never have. I lived in LA for most of my life. Not really conducive to horses, you know?”
“I’ll be happy to teach you.”
“Thanks, that will be great! Tell me about your place.”
“My actual home is near Bath. I have a small country estate where I breed horses and dogs.”
“Really? What kind?”
“Well, the horses are riding stock and the dogs are various breeds that we have experimented with to help the, er, you, in your job.”
“I wouldn’t think a dog would go near one of those things, even a pit bull.”
“Oh, we mainly use them for tracking and alerting the girls to possible nests. They rarely get involved in the fighting. Dogs simply aren’t sturdy enough to face most of these creatures and live.”
She nodded. “So, what’s the best at what?”
“Believe it or not, Chihuahuas are very good at spotting half-breeds and the like. The ones that look normal but aren’t. They are also very good cover for the girls who can simply pick them up and pretend to be walking their nervous, yappy dog.”
She grimaced. “Do I have to have one of those? Chihuahuas kinda remind me of furry bugs. I don’t like the way their eyes look like they might fall out of their heads at any minute, either. And they shiver all the time. I had a friend in grade school who had one. It was revolting.”
He smiled. “Well, perhaps we can find something you’d like better. Many of the toy breeds are quite good as spotters.”
She murmured something under her breath.
“I beg your pardon?”
She shrugged. “I just said that the spots are most likely to be on the carpeting.”
He chuckled dutifully. “Most of our dogs are very nice. We have Jack Russells, Irish Wolf Hounds, and Basenji’s.”
“Aren’t they those barkless dogs?”
“Yes. They are very sweet.”
Buffy reserved her opinions. She had never been around pets on a daily basis and wasn’t sure she wanted to start now, though something to kill rats would have been nice when she had to live in abandoned buildings.. She mentioned this to Giles.
He shuddered. “You shan’t have to do that again, Buffy.”
She shrugged again. “Who knows what the future will bring, Giles? Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Then let me say that I will prevent such circumstances should it be within my power to do so.”
She grinned and patted his hand. “I can live with that.”
Buffy napped again. One thing her life as the Slayer had taught her is that sleep is valuable and you should get as much of it as you can when you have an opportunity. Giles woke her as they began landing at Heathrow. She looked out the window in awe.
“Big airport!”
“Yes. It is a major hub for many international flights.”
Customs gave them both a very thorough search, but found nothing. Giles had stashed all the weapons in his locked, checked luggage. They trudged to the baggage claims and gathered up their bags. Buffy had wondered if they would be met by anybody, but Giles assured her that was not the way of the Council. He would be given a period of several months to evaluate her abilities and then he would take her down to the Council chambers for an introduction and further training.
She tipped her head sideways. “So, these Council guys keep a low profile?’
“Yes, very few of them work full-time at Council business and those that do, maintain a cover of it being a charitable organization.”
“Yeah, gives them a good excuse to take in poor orphaned girls, right?”
“Very astute of you, but they also take in boys that show promise of intelligence and skill. Watchers are trained from a very young age, you know.”
“Well, no, actually, I don’t know. I don’t know hardly anything about this secret society stuff.”
“Sorry. One of our tasks over the next week or so will be to give you a thorough grounding in the basics.”
Buffy sighed. School hadn’t been that interesting for her. Oh well, she was, at least, learning something about this mysterious power she had had since she was fifteen.
Giles got them a taxi and in an hour they were let off at his London flat. It was small but he paid for weekly maid service. He unlocked the door and Buffy walked inside. She looked around. One bedroom, one bathroom, a tiny kitchen, and the rest of the place given over to books and a large, square wooden table that apparently served as a desk. She was amused that he had to pay for his water to be heated by putting coins in a meter.
When she commented upon it, he raised an eyebrow. “Why should I pay to store hot water that I’m not going to use?”
She rolled her eyes at this typically masculine reasoning. “Giles, I’m a girl. I want hot water.”
“Then put a coin in the meter.”
“You don’t understand!”
“Buffy, I am home a total of perhaps ten hours a night, many times less than that, two to three times a year. I use hot water to wash my clothing, my dishes, and my person. The rest of the time, it simply sits there, eating up resources. Why use power that could be diverted elsewhere to keep something on hand that I use so seldom?”
She frowned. When he explained it like that, it did seem reasonable. She let the matter drop, not sure she was wrong, but not wanting to pursue a point that she felt might not be as defensible as she had previously supposed.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“That sounds great. Do you have any food around?”
“I requested that my house keeper stock my cupboards and refrigerator. Feel free to explore. This is to be your home as well as mine.”
“OK.” She turned away from him and prowled through the cupboards. “Canned vegetables? Eeeeuw!”
“What’s wrong with tinned veggies?”
“Were you planning on eating them or using them for fish bait?”
“I had no idea you were finicky! You certainly couldn’t tell it from the amount and variety of the food you’ve eaten in this last week.”
“Canned vegetables are not food. They aren’t even in a food-group.”
“There is nothing wrong with tinned veggies!”
“They’re soft and taste like paste.”
He frowned at her.
Buffy did a tiny victory dance around the kitchen. He may have won the argument about hot water, but nobody who ate food could seriously argue that canned vegetables were edible.
“How old did you say you were again? Are you sure you’re not five?”
“Hey, no need to snark at me, guy. I’m right, right, right!” She spun in a circle, laughing and jumped up to touch the ceiling.
Giles looked mildly alarmed by these antics, but smiled indulgently. What a strange and happy girl she was.
She caught his look and grinned at him cheerily. “You have no idea, do you?”
“No idea of what?”
“Of why I’m so happy?”
“Well, no, actually.”
“I’m not alone. I’m not a freak. I’m not being hunted by the cops anymore. I’m not living in abandoned buildings; I’m not earning my daily bread by robbing vamps before I kill ‘em. I’ve got a new home in a new country with a guy I like. Why shouldn’t I be happy?”
He blinked back surprised tears. How hard, how needlessly hard, her life had been for the past three years. If only he had found her sooner. He reached out and patted her shoulder. “Indeed, when you put it like that, why shouldn’t you?”
They unpacked and he showed her which drawers were to be hers. He looked with dismay at the single bed. “I’m sorry that I don’t have separate accommodations for you. You should have your own room.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve never slept with anybody till now and I like it. You make me feel warm and safe. It’s a good feeling. You, well, this is going to sound stupid, but you smell right to me. I don’t want to give that up.”
“Oh.” He didn’t know what to say. Clearly, she wasn’t talking about sexuality but it still didn’t seem entirely right to sleep with her beyond what necessity demanded.
“You seem to have a problem,” she said, disconcertingly direct.
“It’s just the fact that I’m a man, a relative stranger to you and you are a beautiful young woman. I feel odd sleeping with you.”
“I’m a woman who could break both your arms if you tried something I didn’t want,” she reassured him. “You don’t frighten me. You feel right.”
He smiled softly. “Watchers and Slayers have a long history together. Some of it has been of a romantic nature.”
“Really?” She tipped her head sideways. “I’ve never had a boyfriend. Too dangerous. Plus, most people want to settle down. I couldn’t do that because of the vamp attraction thing I have going on. I couldn’t put normal people in danger just by being around me.” She looked down at her hands. “It might be interesting…”
His eyes gleamed before he looked down modestly.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that sort of thing…yet.”
“No, nor am I. But, I would like to take you out tonight for dinner. I can’t have you eating tinned veggies.” He smiled.
“Good. I’m hungry.”
His smile broadened into a grin. “I somehow thought you might be.”
He took her out to the local pub and fed her pasties and beer and was deeply amused to see that she had no head for alcohol at all. One small beer and she could barely talk. She looked over at him and giggled.
“Um, did I ever mention that I don’t really have a high tolerance for booze?”
“Beer is not booze and you’ve barely had an eyedropper full.”
“ ’Pparently, that doesn’t matter.” She started to rest her head on the table. “You know, I’m suddenly very sleepy.” Her head clunked down with a thump.
Giles sighed and put his own head in his hand. Now what was he going to do? He was pondering the situation when the barman came over to speak to him.
“Looks like your little girl can’t handle her liquor, mate.”
“True enough. How was I to know she’d never had real beer before? I think it’s a combination of jet lag and intolerance. We just arrived from America a couple of hours ago.”
“Want me to call you a cab?”
“That would be most appreciated. Thank you.”
The taxi arrived and Giles simply picked her up and carried her to it. She never budged, out like a light. He had to laugh lightly as he slung her over his shoulder to open his apartment door. He didn’t see the officer come up behind him.
“Problem with the young lady, sir?”
Giles turned around, balancing the sleeping Slayer with one hand. “Not really, I didn’t know she couldn’t handle beer. She only had half a glass and was out like a light. Probably jet lag combined with no tolerance for alcohol.”
“Do you live here sir?”
“I do when I’m in London.”
“And the young lady?”
“She will be with me from now on. I’m her guardian now.”
Buffy let out a fairly loud snore and both men grinned. “Sorry to bother you, sir. Just checking things out.”
“Quite all right, officer. I’d better get her inside now.”
“Good night sir.”
“Good night.”
He finished unlocking his door and lay the unconscious Slayer down on his couch. Walking into his bedroom, he turned back the bedding and went out to retrieve her. Giles didn’t feel right about disrobing her, so he settled for removing her shoes and jeans. She’d just have to sleep in the rest of her garments. It wouldn’t hurt her.
Though it was fairly early, he was tired from the flight. Showering took about fifteen minutes and another five to change into his sleeping garments. With a yawn, he turned out the light and crawled into bed next to his slightly drunken, comatose Slayer.
When Buffy awakened the next morning, she felt well rested and absolutely starving. Her Slayer metabolism had negated any effects that indulging in alcohol might have incurred, though the half-a-beer she had imbibed probably wouldn’t have bothered her anyway. Giles was deeply asleep next to her. Looking down, she saw she was still mostly dressed and shrugged with a grin. She got out of bed and headed for the small bathroom. A shower was definitely in order.
Giles woke to the sound of running water. He blinked his eyes for a moment before he realized that his Slayer wasn’t next to him. The water sounds made sense then. She must be showering. He sat up and stretched, popping joints and limbering himself up for a full day.
When Buffy emerged from the shower drying her hair she found him pulling his own clothing for the day out of the closet. “I had to use one of your British coins for the water.”
He nodded. “Did you save me any?”
“I have no idea. But there’s another coin if you need it. I’m starving, by the way.”
He sighed heavily. “Of course you are. As soon as I have showered and shaved, we can go out for some food. After that, we shall get my car out of storage and drive to Bath. Tomorrow, I must begin to assess your potential and work out a training regimen.”
“Cool. Are you going to teach me to ride a horse then?”
“Perhaps. It is quite good exercise.”
“How’s that? I mean, you just sit and the horse does all the work.”
Giles just laughed. “You’ll see.”
The trip to Bath was uneventful, though he tried to liven it up by giving her a brief history lesson. Buffy listened mostly in silence, asking only the occasional question.
“England’s different than I thought it would be.”
“How is that?”
“Well, I dunno. I guess I was expecting something more…foreign.”
“More foreign?”
“Yeah. A lot of what I’ve seen is just like back home but with accents.”
He chuckled. “America is becoming more cosmopolitan and England, less provincial. There are bound to be meeting points and similarities. I’m sure, as time goes by, that you will find ample differences.”
“Oh, I have. Things are so old here! In America, we’d have bulldozed that cottage we drove past. You said it was three hundred years old. It had a grass roof!”
“It’s called thatch.”
“People were living there!”
“I’m sure it’s quite snug.”
“It was really old!”
“But it was perfectly functional, Buffy. Why throw out something that has stood the test of time, when there is nothing wrong with it? Why replace something that works fine for a newer, less well-constructed version that won’t last a century?”
“It’s weird.”
“No, dear. Just different.”
~*~
His family estate was exactly how she had pictured it: a large and ancient house surrounded by woods and fields. Servants waved at him happily as he drove the car up the long driveway and parked in front of the house. “And is this our Slayer, then?” an old woman standing at the front door asked him.
“Yes, Nanny. This is Buffy Summers, my Slayer. Please put her in the red room.”
“Right away, young Rupert.”
The old woman stepped forward and held out her hand to Buffy. “I’m Nanny Roberts. I took care of Rupert when he was just a wee lad. Come with me, dear.”
Buffy took her hand and allowed herself to be led through the house, nodding as the old woman babbled on about the various bits of furniture and rooms that they passed.
“Our Rupert has been searching for you for ever so long, you know.”
“He said.”
The old woman threw back a door and they entered a cozy bedroom, decorated with red trim. “This will be your room.” She walked over and opened another door. “This is the Master bedroom. Rupert sleeps here.”
Buffy nodded. “I’m glad he’s close.”
“Why is that, dear? You have nothing to fear in this house.”
“I feel good around him. I don’t know how else to explain…”
The old woman patted her hands, “There, there. Don’t fret, love. You don’t need to explain. My oldest girl was a Slayer, you know. Rupert’s father was her Watcher.”
“Really? Could you tell me about her?” Suddenly realizing that if her daughter had been a Slayer, she was most certainly dead now, Buffy covered her mouth with her hand. “I am so beyond sorry, ma’am. I’m sure that’s a very painful subject. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, dear. My Becky’s gone but she went a hero.. I don’t know what more a mother could ask. She saved an entire school, you know. A master vampire moved in and started killing students, turning them into undead creatures just like himself. She fought to the death and killed a good many of them, but in the end, the master was too strong and she perished. The Council cleaned up the rest, but the master got away.”
“Wow! That sounds almost exactly like what happened to me! This master vamp came to LA and started putting the bite on kids at my high school. We fought and I dusted him.”
“What, what was the master vampire’s name, dear?”
“He called himself Lothos.”
The old woman teetered unsteadily to a chair. “So, the monster that killed my baby is dead. Thank you, Slayer. Thank you so very much.”
“I got lucky.”
“My daughter is revenged. Anything I can do for you, please, let me know.”
“Th, thanks. I’m really sorry about your daughter.”
“Thank you, dear.” The old woman smiled at Buffy and patted her shoulder. “Dinner is nearly ready. You should wash up. I remember how hungry Slayers get.”
Buffy smiled tentatively at her and entered the bathroom. It was big and old-fashioned, but somehow cozy in spite of itself. The claw-footed iron bathtub in the corner looked particularly inviting. She hadn’t had many opportunities in the last few years to have a long hot soak and it sounded wonderful.
Dinner was interesting. She got to try several traditional English foods and was surprised to find they were quite good. Giles made small talk throughout the meal and she was pleased to be able to chat about normal things for a change. He outlined a training regimen that sounded pretty intense to her. It would begin, he told her, with some testing.
“After all, I need to see what you already know.”
“I’ve never had any formal training. The fighting stuff just comes when I need it.”
He nodded. “You must be very closely connected to the First Slayer. Girls with a close connection have a natural affinity for battle.”
She grinned lop-sidedly. “Not exactly the sort of thing a girl wants to hear, but I get your meaning.”
“Do you like your room?”
“It’s beautiful, but I’m going to miss sleeping with you.”
He blushed. “Buffy…”
“Chill, big guy. I’m not putting the moves on you. I just like the way you make me feel. I haven’t had a home for three years, but when I’m with you, I feel like I’m there.”
“That is the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a good many years, Buffy. Thank you.”
It was her turn to blush. “Well, yeah. Um, what kind of training are you going to start with?” Quickly changing the subject sounded like a good plan.
“I thought I might attempt to assess your prowess with an assortment of weapons. What have you used?”
She tipped her head sideways and thought about it. “Well, that sword, stakes, a stop sign once, oh, a garbage can lid, a rake, and strangely enough, a garden hose.”
He suppressed a smile. “I see. You have no trouble with spontaneity, then.”
“I guess not.”
“We shall start with the quarterstaff then. It is an ancient weapon, but versatile and easily mistaken for a hiking stick. I recommend that you put on the pads.”
She looked dubious, but he showed her how to fasten the straps. Flexing her shoulders, she winced slightly. “These things are uncomfortable.”
“You’ll bear up. Besides, it’s rather more than uncomfortable to try to heal a broken rib.”
She nodded. “OK.”
He put on his own pads and took up the staff. Working through the basic moves alone, he made sure she saw how he handled the weapon. “Now you try,” he encouraged.
She swung the staff in a series of blocks and feints that looked very competent.
“All right. Now, I shall attack you and you defend yourself. Ah, do remember that I am neither a Slayer, nor a vampire, won’t you?”
“Sure.” She took up a defensive posture.
Buffy got the hang of the staff right away. It felt like it belonged in her hands. They started out slowly but her competency grew with each pass of the staff. In a very few moments she was pushing him back, farther and farther till she was finally able to feint and knock him off his feet. She ran to help him up.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine. I thought you’d never used a staff before?”
“I haven’t. It just felt right to me. Is that bad?”
“No, not at all. I, um, I really think we should call a halt for today. Go shower and meet me in the library, if you would. I need to do a bit of research.”
“OK.” She shot him a very anxious look but obeyed him. Twenty minutes later she joined him in the large room. “So, whatcha lookin’ for?”
He winced at her pronunciation, but let it go. “I’m looking for instances where Slayers learned weapons without being taught. It vaguely rings a bell with me, something I learned or heard a very long time ago. I hope I can find the reference or it’s going to bother me all day.”
“Well, let me help.” She smiled at his surprised look.
“That would be a tremendous boon. Here, you take this stack.” He handed her about ten thick, dusty books.
Buffy hid her dismay and resolutely took the texts, setting herself down in the chair next to his at the large library table. His pleased smile was reward enough, she thought. They read till nearly ten that night. She was tired, though she didn’t want to admit that to him.
Finally, they were startled by a light tapping on the library door.
“Come in?” Giles said, straightening up with a small groan.
It was Nanny. “Now, Master Rupert, you know you shouldn’t keep the lass up on her first night here. Whatever you’re looking for can surely be found better when you are both rested.”
He looked sheepish as a glance at the clock confirmed her words. “Sorry, I’m sure. Time simply gets away from me when I have an interesting problem.”
She clucked her tongue at him and left the room after wishing them both a good night.
Buffy stood and stretched her aching back. “Maybe I will go to bed now, if you don’t mind. It’s been kind of a big week for me.”
“I am so sorry dear. By all means, go to bed. I’ll be up shortly.”
“It’s going to be weird, sleeping alone. What if I can’t do it?”
He gave her a stern look. “Try.”
She gave a huge sigh. “You’re a hard man.”
He stood, slapped her bottom, and gave her a gentle push towards the door. “Off with you now. We have to be up bright and early for training.”
Giles thought it was just as well that her mutters couldn’t exactly reach his ears as she left the room. He marveled once again at her playfulness. It was charming. She was a very easy girl to love, he mused, then stopped as his thoughts registered with his consciousness. Love. He loved her. They had known each other only slightly more than a week but he knew. She was so happy, so vibrant, and full of life, that he couldn’t help it. He sighed, knowing that any moves in a romantic direction would have to come from her.